


On Your Side

by Darlingheart



Series: If The World Was Ending [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23877709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darlingheart/pseuds/Darlingheart
Summary: The night before the end of the world Draco and Hermione decide what side they're on
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: If The World Was Ending [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719202
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	On Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> A little one shot set 20+ years after the war. Epilogue compliant
> 
> This is un beta'd so any mistakes are entirely my own.

“So, we’re at war.” She sighed.

“Again.”

The again was sharp, sardonic, a tone that Hermione associated not with the man in front of her but the young boy he used to be. It had been over twenty years since the end of the last war, the war where Hermione Granger had found herself on the opposing side to Draco Malfoy the man who now slumped in the chair opposite her. 

There had been births, deaths, marriages and divorces since then, they weren’t the wary teenagers they had been. They were past forty with the wrinkles to prove it.

“Well, at least we’re on the same side this time.” She smirked.

“Low blow Granger.”

She rolled her eyes, she hadn’t been Granger for a long time but every time she reminded him of that simple fact he doubled-down on refusing to call her anything but her maiden name.

“Scorpius and Rosie are together.”

“Obviously.”

Hermione continued as though she hadn’t heard him, “And I spoke to Harry, he’s got Hugo, Al and Lily at his place.”

“Potter not running off to save the world this time?” He drawled.

“Is it the prospect of the end of the world that turns you back into the worst teenage version of yourself or is that just a bonus.” Hermione snapped.

Draco flinched and pulled himself upright in his wingback chair before sheepishly meeting her eyes. The grey met brown and for a moment Hermione was reminded of the first day the two of them decided to open a law practice together all those years ago. He was a beaten down man who still had a sizeable chip on his shoulder and she was the heroine of the Wizarding world who everyone was turning to for answers she didn’t have. It shouldn’t have worked but it did. He had the Pureblood wizards in his pocket, she had everyone else. The fact that they had become allies was inevitable.

He’d been at her wedding to Ron. Charming the guests and taking a wide berth around the Weasleys.

She’d been at his wedding to Astoria. Drinking the free champagne and avoiding his father.

He’d covered her cases when Rose was born.

She’d forced him to take two months paternity leave when Scorpius was born.

He’d hired a junior partner when Hugo was born, and fought her when she tried to return to work because she thought she was being pushed out. The words no one can replace you had been said to convince her to go home and when she returned to work they both pretended it had never happened, though neither forgot.

She’d picked up his caseload and hired a clerk when his mother died at the same time his marriage was failing. 

He’d picked apart every word of her closing arguments because he could, because he needed to and knew she’d let him.

She’d let him shout for over an hour when she’d let Scorpius come to a study date with Rose at her house. Then poured him a large glass of Firewhisky and told him to calm down or get out. He’d left – to play an angry game of pick up Quidditch with Ron who was equally unimpressed with the developing affection between Rose and Scorpius.

He’d quietly pushed her out of the office when he noticed that her hours were getting longer and later as she delayed going home to a marriage that was no longer working.

She’d watched his smug pride as he announced that Scorpius was going to be Head Boy.

He’d sat back and gaped as she shattered his smugness when she announced that Rose was going to be Head Girl. Oh, and that she and Ron were separating.

She’d let him arrange for her to meet with the best magical divorce lawyer they knew because he claimed Weasley shouldn’t get a fucking knut more than was appropriate.

He’d made the appointment for her knowing she wouldn’t go and knowing she was humouring him because he knew what it was like to experience the pain of a failing marriage. 

They’d both agreed that they had probably spent more time on their careers than their respective marriages. Privately, neither could decide if they should acknowledge why.

They’d made their partnership work despite all the odds. And so was it any surprise that on the eve of another Wizarding war – the third in a century – they hadn’t gone to their respective homes but had instead both ended up in their office. More specifically in the adjoining study that he’d insisted on and she’d claimed was a waste of space (it wasn’t. She often reviewed cases in the wingback chair by the fire he was currently occupying).

“I don’t want to be involved this time. I don’t want to have to take a side.” He sighed.

“Me neither. But we will have to. We need to, it can’t just happen again.”

“Of all the places and all the properties I have in the world, I ended up back in my office in what could be the last normal night of our lives.” He grumbled.

“Our office,” Hermione replied reflectively, the refrain a well-worn one.

She heard his soft snort and looked up. At almost forty-five Draco had grown into his features, what was once harsh and pointy was now distinguished and refined. His hair was as white as it was blonde but it worked, the lines around his eyes only made him look more thoughtful and not tired. Hermione had never told him but age suited him, he’d grown into someone she was proud to care for, someone she was pleased to know.

He smirked at her and met her gaze. At almost forty-five Hermione still looked like the girl she once had been. The hair was still wild, the desire to be recognised and noticed for her accomplishments still brimmed close to the surface. She was a little softer in places than she had been and the lines on her face were more pronounced but if you asked Draco to find a more beautiful witch he would not, at pain of death, have been able to.

Hermione patted the cushion next to her and quirked one brow at him.

Draco gave a performative sigh but heaved himself out of his chair coming and sitting next to her, close enough that she could feel the small space between them shift.

“We survived what felt like the end of the world once,” she told him, “we’ll survive again.”

“I’m too old to fight,” he huffed but there was a sincerity in the words too.

“Nonsense. Besides I’m not asking you to fight, just be on my side,” she added softly.

Whether she was talking about this new war or something else entirely Draco didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. He tilted his body towards her so he could look at her, she met his eyes as he lifted the side of his mouth in crooked smile and said, “Granger, I thought you knew by now, I’m always on your side.”

And because she did know, she said nothing. Instead she smiled softly back at him as she reached for his hand and linked their fingers before shifting to rest her head on his shoulder. The world probably wouldn’t end – it didn't before – but if it did they’d face it together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Since all of this *waves hand at the world* began I've had that annoying If The World Was Ending song stuck in my head and it has led to a series of short one shots each one featuring a different couple at the end of the world. I'll post them as and when inspiration strikes – a different pairing each time.


End file.
